


Be still, my indelible friend

by Magpies_and_candywrappers



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Childhood Trauma, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I was falling asleep as I wrote this, Other, Ozai's A+ Parenting, Trauma, Zuko is in big brother mode, let my boys have peace, somebody take my laptop from me, thats what I call growth, zuko is awkward but nice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 03:27:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30133293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magpies_and_candywrappers/pseuds/Magpies_and_candywrappers
Summary: Lightning has hurt both Zuko and Aang. They have a tiny talk about it.
Relationships: Aang & Zuko (Avatar)
Kudos: 29





	Be still, my indelible friend

**Author's Note:**

> Y'all I'm sorry I churned this out so fast. I recently finished rewatching Avatar the Last Airbender and I was drowning in nostalgia and feelings. Especially since my boys are traumatized by Ozai.  
> I came back to this and did a little editing but not much has changed. Enjoy! ^_^

He might have been the Fire Lord but that did not mean Zuko didn’t have time for his friends...his friends. There were times, especially late at night when he turned restlessly in bed or got up altogether as his mind twisted and turned with all the things he had done. It was in the past, or, at least he tried to tell himself, and he had been forgiven but the echoes of it all were still there. It was some time before he realized that only with the passage of time would the sting of his transgressions begin to fade. He had a new chance at life, and he would do better than those who came before him, and he would do better than his own past self.

The rainy season came with unusual force that year and it had been storming for almost four days, which was starting to overwhelm the palace’s drainage system. However, Zuko was lucky enough to be friends with two waterbenders who could help with such a problem.

There was a tea room near the royal chambers in which Uncle Iroh, Zuko, and the others could have tea and sit for a spell when they had the time, with wide sliding paper windows to look out at the palace district and let a cool breeze in. After the drainage system was saved, Katara and Aang were promptly invited for tea, if they would like, since they wouldn’t be accepting any other form of payment (trust Zuko on that, he’s tried) and to have somewhere to wait out the storm. Katara politely declined and went elsewhere with Toph but Aang accepted the offer.

The thing was...Aang was quiet and if Zuko had come to know anything about him, it was odd, if not a little concerning. Aang had settled on his knees on a large floor pillow by the open window as the storm raged outside, the rain coming down at such an angle he wasn’t particularly worried about water getting in. Zuko shot him a glance as he held the teapot. Should he say something or nothing? If he did say something what would it even be? Why aren’t you spinning around the room on a ball of air...or something? Shouldn't Aang be zipping around the room or looking over the wall hangings, telling stories of what the Fire Nation had looked like over a hundred years ago? Aang could talk but Zuko didn't mind it so much anymore. It was strange to see that young face tell old stories of Zuko's very own homeland. 

He began to our himself a cup as he deliberated on how to break the silence just as the lightning struck and close because the light and noise were immense...and startling familiar. The small cup clattered to the floor and Zuko stared down at it for a few moments, blinked away the starbursts in his vision.

“I-I don’t think I like lightning all that much,” Aang said, breaking the silence that had rushed back in after the strike. Zuko grabbed a cloth off the table and dabbed at the spilled tea, set it aside. Of course, Aang had every reason to feel that way. Azula had nearly ended the Avatar cycle in seconds and he had stood by while it happened. And she’d nearly ended him. Aang got up and walked over to the table and knelt down across from Zuko.

“Lighting is powerful...it shouldn’t be taken lightly,” he finally offered at last. “You don’t have to bend lightning if you don’t want to,” Zuko added. Aang was silent for a few moments then lifted his soulful eyes to Zuko.

“I did...when I was fighting the fire lord-Ozai. I was able to redirect it. It felt like my whole body was burning but cold too, crackling in my ears,” Aang explained. The people in his family had a nasty of throwing lightning at children. He was a teenager himself, sixteen, and teaching Aang how to redirect lightning back on Ember Island, after only doing it once himself. He had no choice in the matter but he was sending another child to face his father and it tore him up inside. Tore them all up, really.

There was another close strike, the room flooded with brief light and the palace seemed to shudder. There was a great big whoosh, air ruffling his hair and robes, and suddenly a small body was pressed into his side. Aang was next to him with his knees drawn up to his chest.

“Are you sure this palace won’t fall down on us?” Aang asked after a few more beats of silence, glanced up at the ceiling and Zuko smiled.

“No...it won’t. The storm should be over soon anyway,” he said, which might have been a lie. The storm was going on a few days now.

“I saw Avatar Roku level throne room while I was seeing the past. What if they rebuilt it in a weak way?” Aang asked, his tone starting to lift a bit.

“The Fire nation has some of the best engineers in the world. Nothing is going to come crashing down on us, especially not the palace” Zuko answered with some exasperation but relief that Aang was more like his usual self. Aang shrugged and Zuko resumed pouring out tea for the both of them. Uncle said he was getting better and better at making tea.

“If you say so. Hey, Zuko, why did I see you apologizing to that turtle duck in the pond?” he asked and Zuko sighed but smiled.

“It’s...a long story. When I rescued you from Zhao, why did you frogs?" 

**Author's Note:**

> My other wips looking at this fic  
> You did this..for what?
> 
> Also, I do apologize if this seems out of character for Zuko. Literally, no one has ever been mean to me on this site but I still freak out when I write certain characters and hit post.


End file.
